Preparation Methods Affected by Higher Coal Prices and Mining Costs

DURING the past year, purchases of coal-preparation equipment and the discussions and plant-scale tests conducted indicate that much attention is being given to better recoveries of coal by preparation plants and improved quality of the finer sizes to widen their market. In the anthracite regions the new equipment was predominantly for the cleaning of the steam sizes, much of it for treating No. 4 and No. 5 buckwheat. The units installed were largely coal-washing tables, Hydrotators, and Menzies cone separators.